Happy belated Valentines Day to all, I hope it was profitable whether you’re single or not. Monday provides a manageable seven-game slate with plenty of options for lineup building. So let’s get right to it.
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Most Value Per Dollar
Below is a list of the top-10 players of the day expected to generate the most value relative to their salary.
Tyrese Haliburton (SG – SAC) : $6,100 at BKN
Haliburton still garnered 31 minutes and 35.8 fantasy points against the Grizzlies despite coming off the bench yesterday. The Kings rookie has posted at least 25 fantasy points in each of his last nine games. His playing time seems to be stable around the 30 minutes benchmark, which is why his stock continues to rise. Playing against an up-tempo Brooklyn team that plays no defense, the Iowa State product is poised to have another solid outing.
DeMarcus Cousins (C – HOU): $6,100 at WAS
Assuming Christian Wood is still out, Cousins will continue to be a solid value below the $7,000 price range as he soaks up most of the Rockets’ minutes at center. Coming off a mediocre performance against the Knicks, he is bound to bounce back against Washington in a pace-up spot. The Wizards have allowed the 26th most fantasy points to centers this season, so Boogie should do quite well here. His ownership might be a bit too high for GPP’s, but he is a worthy cash play.
Tyler Herro (SG – MIA): $5,700 at LAC
After being deemed a late scratch on Thursday due to health protocols, Herro struggled Saturday against a stingy Utah defense, posting just 24.6 fantasy points across 32 minutes. The Clippers offer a much more favorable matchup, and I expect Herro to be back in the starting lineup tonight. When the Heat played Los Angeles earlier this season, Herro posted 38.5 points across 31 minutes, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he runs it back this time around.
Jordan Clarkson (SG – UTA): $5,500 vs. PHI
While Clarkson is expected to come off the bench tonight, he has still played 27 or more minutes in his last four games. With that being said, he is a GPP only play to me, as he holds the potential to reach 35+, but also can put up a dud performance. He is bound to take plenty of shots and still gets his fair share of rebounds and assists. Clarkson has shown he can produce against solid defenses as well, scoring 38.3 fantasy points against the Bucks just a few days ago.
Joe Ingles (SF – UTA): $4,900 vs. PHI
With Ingles being $600 cheaper than Clarkson and expected to soak up the starting minutes, I like him more so in cash lineups. Ingles hasn’t exactly been phenomenal of late, but the opportunity has been there, and at a cheaper price, he presents a lower risk. I expect this game to be closer than their last two blowouts, so Ingles could easily see a slight uptick in minutes and usage as well.
Nerlens Noel (PF – NY): $4,800 vs. ATL
Mitchell Robinson’s injury means Noel slots right into the Knicks’ starting lineup, so his $4,800 price tag offers great value. He saw 32 minutes last game, and I expect similar playing time against the Hawks in a pace-up spot. Noel is very much capable of breaking the 30 point threshold, and I see him as a solid GPP and cash play based on the opportunity he will have on the court.
Patrick Williams (PF – CHI): $4,500 at IND
Coming off a rough outing versus the Clippers on Friday, tonight offers a prime bounce-back spot for the Bulls rookie. Williams has seen north of 30 minutes in each of his last six games, and with the injury troubles Chicago currently faces, I fully expect that to stay the same tonight in Indy. I would mostly avoid Williams in cash lineups, but he is a fine GPP play, as he has shown his capability of a 30+ fantasy point outing.
Hassan Whiteside (C – SAC): $4,500 at BKN
Consistency is one of the last words I’d use to describe Hassan Whiteside, but in a solid matchup with Marvin Bagley III potentially out again, I’m going right back to the well here. Whiteside is hands down a GPP only play, but his chance of a boom game outweighs his ownership projection. I can’t expect him to be owned by much of the field, so he can be your diamond in the rough for today’s slate.
Danuel House (SF – HOU): $4,200 at WAS
I know House is coming off a dud performance, but that almost makes me like him more as the rest of the field is more likely to avoid him. In a pace up spot against a bad Washington defense, House’s minutes should see a nice bump from the 22 he had last game. Not only that, but I don’t expect him to go scoreless again, and we’ve witnessed his boom performances previously. He is definitely risky, but I will be over the field in ownership as I believe he has the potential to more than pay off his price.
Bruce Brown (SG – BKN): $3,900 vs. SAC
With Kevin Durant sidelined and facing one of the worst defenses in the league in a pace-up spot, Bruce Brown might be one of the chalkiest plays of the slate with his $3,900 price tag. I expect him to slot into the starting lineup and put up a lot of shots in this game. Any starter under $4k will almost always be good value and someone on a team who might post 150 points certainly is.
Check out our NBA Prop Bet Cheat Sheet for the top bets of the day
Studs Worth Their Salary
- James Harden (BKN) $10,600: With Durant out and Kyrie handing the point guard duties over, Harden usage should skyrocket against Sacramento. While he is pricey, this might be one of the best opportunities for Harden all season to post a monster performance.
- Bradley Beal (WAS) $9800: If Westbrook sits out the second leg of the back-to-back, as he more than likely will, Beal might be the highest owned player on the slate. Beal could easily be the highest fantasy scorer today, and at a sub-$10k price point, he still offers good value.
- Domantas Sabonis (IND) $9,600: Provided he stays out of foul trouble, Sabonis consistently sees north of 33 minutes per game. Against a juicy Chicago matchup, the Pacers power forward should eat while he is on the floor.
Notable Players to Fade
- Joel Embiid (PHI) $10,700: Provided that he even plays, Embiid won’t be playing at 100%. Facing a tough Utah defense, he will need to get to 53.5 points to even reach 5x value, which he has failed to do in each of his last two games.
- Trae Young (ATL) $9,900: Facing New York is never fun for fantasy purposes. Not only do they have the slowest pace in the NBA, but also a top-five defense. Young needs to be extremely efficient to pay off his price tag, which he hasn’t exactly shown he can be this season.
- Lou Williams (LAC) $6,600: Since Kawhi Leonard was out, Williams saw a major increase in usage and posted a season-high 45.4 fantasy points. Even if Leonard remains out, Williams should cool off despite the field potentially flocking to own him, hoping for a repeat performance.
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Beyond our daily fantasy basketball content, be sure to check out our Daily Fantasy Basketball Tools. From our Lineup Optimizer – which allows you to build winning DFS lineups in seconds for Cash and GPP contests – to our DFS Cheat Sheets – that helps you get a quick read on the day’s players – we’ve got you covered this fantasy basketball season.
Ryan Coleman is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Ryan, check out his archive and follow him @ryantcoleman_98.